Claustrophobia
by hawktakesflight
Summary: Lucario's nightmare-reality revisited; towering blue walls of clear, clear crystal. Lucario howled and pounded his paws upon the face of the crystal, but it moved not. Complete, many thanks to readers and reviewers. Please R&R.
1. Nightmare Revisited

Claustrophobia

_Lucario swiped his paws across the crystal surface. Blue shimmering walls glared back at him, a thousand Lucarios staring at each other in surprise and shock and pain._ Why! _he screamed, sound reverberating on crystal prism._

_He saw only his back turned, disappearing behind a rock face. His Aura signature drew farther away, weakening. The crystals began to dim, Lucario began to slip and lose consciousness, and was dragged screaming silently into blackness._

_---_

Lucario rolled off his bed, half-crushing his tail in the process. Wincing, he glanced out of the window, to see the first silver of dawn sun over the horizon.

_I'm late_, he groaned.

An hour and a half of strenuous morning exercise later, Lucario padded silently down to the Smash Cafeteria for food. Mr. Game and Watch walked by and sat across him as Lucario took a tin of berries from the counter.

Lucario would have discerned the distinctive Aura of Mr. Game and Watch without looking up, but the beeps confirmed it_._ _Good morning to you too, Mr. Game and Watch. _He looked up and bowed his head slightly to the monochrome man.

Lucario proceeded to open up his tin by jamming the spike on the back of his right paw into it, and then tracing a circle on the tin, tearing the tin lid off. _Tins,_ he thought. _Keeping stuff in, so one could use it at one's leisure._ He placed the serrated edge of the tin on the table, and then proceeded to quietly enjoy the berries within.

This continued for about a minute or so, until suddenly, Lucario sensed a fast projectile at moving towards him. Without thinking, he jumped out backwards, landing in front of another surprised Smasher, nearly knocking King Dedede's fried fish out of his hands. An instant later, a Pokéball bounced on the bench, right at the spot Lucario had been, letting off an empty "tng".

Swirling around in anger, blue Aura stark against his black paws, he faced the Pokémon Trainer, who was facepalming at his miss. _Don't do that, _he quietly stated, trying to keep his anger down. The last thing he wanted was a brawl, right here, right now. Pokémon Trainer, however, had no objection to that, releasing Squirtle to capture Lucario.

Squirtle suddenly tackled Lucario in the abdomen, causing both to fall into the nearby water feature, a shallow pond. Eight seconds and a flurry of Aura later, Lucario grabbed a weakly-protesting Squirtle and stormed towards the Trainer. _Just – please – don't._ He put Squirtle down gently on the floor, tiredly closed his red eyes, and stormed quietly out of the cafeteria. The tin of berries remained on the table.

---

Back in his small room, Lucario calmed himself down. It was okay; the Trainer tried to capture him – again – and failed – again. He sat down awkwardly on his small bed, looking at the four walls around him, and the window view of the Smash Mansion's Garden below. This, he tried to reason with himself, was supposedly better than his previous life. No running into giant armies, no running into anything. Speaking of which, his brawl time was coming, and he didn't want anyone to come knocking at his door. He froze as the door opened, and the Pokémon Trained popped his head cautiously in.

"Lucario?" The Pokémon stiffened, tail rising slightly. "I'm sorry for what happened, shouldn't have tried to surprise you like so..." Lucario stiffened further, his fur lying flat while his ears pricked up. There was just something about the Trainer's Aura that didn't seem quite right...

"... but still, I do want a Lucario in my collection," he finished softly.

_I am not a Lucario just to be part of your Pokémon collection! _Lucario snapped at him, jaws clamped shut. His voice boomed in the Trainer's head, people ten feet away heard Lucario's telepathic yell. _And if it interests you,_ Lucario quietened suddenly, _I already have a "trainer"._

"Well, if you do have a trainer, I can't capture you..." mused the Trainer, "but there's an off chance you're lying, aren't you?" Lucario stepped backwards, away from the door, paws awash with Aura. _Do not challenge me on this, Trainer, _he responded wearily. _I am tired, and I wish to rest._

"Of course, of course..." the Trainer laughed. "Your wish... is my command." With that, he slammed the door open, running into Lucario's room. In two steps he had covered the room, facing off with Lucario, who had jumped back on the windowsill to avoid him, his tail slammed between his body and the glass window. With Lucario at a disadvantage in his own room, the Pokémon Trainer unleashed his three Pokémon, which proceeded to battle with Lucario.

Even though Lucario was weary, he still managed to knockout Squirtle and Ivysaur eventually, hitting them square in the chest with an Aura-powered paw each. Charizard, however, took advantage of Lucario's position and grabbed him in an armlock, holding Lucario in front of him, pinioning his arms and smashing him into the ground, causing Lucario's already tired legs to give way. Yet still, Lucario backflipped, attempting to kick Charizard with his foot, when Pokémon Trainer intervened, smashing Lucario's small mattress down on his body. This time, Charizard held both Lucario's arms in one arm and his legs in the other, preventing the thrashing Lucario from escaping.

"My, my," simpered the Pokémon Trainer. "Lucario... is unable to battle." A Pokéball was in his hand, and Lucario's red eyes widened and froze in fear.

_Don't – you – dare! _Lucario suddenly swiped his left paw across, flared with blue Aura, knocking the Pokéball from the Trainer's hands and sending it crashing into the ruined wall of his room. But an arm and a tail were not enough for Lucario, whose other arm and both legs were held by Charizard. Charizard proceeded to bodily slam Lucario face-first into his own room floor, burying Lucario's chest-spike an inch deep in the flooring.

"Pity really," said the Trainer, picking another Pokéball from his belt. "You could have just come quietly." _I will not! Trainer, you know not what you d-_ Lucario's words were cut off as the Pokéball bounced off Lucario's shoulder, transforming Lucario into energy and captured him within.

---

_Blue crystal walls faded into blackness, as Lucario collapsed with pain and heartbreak. One by one, the blue walls of his crystal prison faded out of sight, until only the top window was visible._

_The crystal was cut beautifully, such that it looked like a shining diamond from the outside. Lucario watched as the last glimmer of the world faded from his view, tears dropping from his red eyes as he pummelled the sides of his prison, feeling the crystal break not._


	2. Nightmare Reminiscence

**Hello all.**

**I'm new to this, so I even forgot to put an introduction on the first chapter, so for that I apologize. Hello.**

**I've always considered Lucario to be interesting, but only after watching **_**Lucario and the Mystery of Mew **_**I appreciate Lucario's presence in SSBB more.**

**This fic is about Lucario and his past experiences, as well as his interaction with the other Smashers in the present. **_**Claustrophobia **_**was inspired by **_**Captured!**_**, an interesting fanfic, but it deviates quite far from it – as well as the plot of **_**Lucario and the Mystery of Mew**_**.**

**This is my first fic, please do R&R, and I hope you'll enjoy it, and more stories hopefully to come. Thank you for reading.**

**hawk**

Claustrophobia – Chapter Two

Lucario started. He was awake and could feel his limbs and tail aching, but he couldn't see them. He felt as beaten-up as before, but Charizard and the Trainer had disappeared. He seemed to be there, yet not able to see himself. He whipped around wildly, fangs bared and paws seemingly outstretched.

He found himself in an open field, with a large expanse of grass under a clear blue sky, with apparently no one for miles around. Normally he would have gratefully accepted such a field to roam after a long day, but his Aura filters picked up something beyond the field. Lucario closed his eyes and tiredly stretched out his paws, willing his Aura vision to take over, to uncover the mystery behind the field.

The field shattered before his vision, revealing an endless maze of plastic and mirrors, plastic and mirrors, walling him in. _Hiaaa?! _Lucario frantically looked around – whichever way he turned, he saw the same maze around him, looking as close as if they were almost touching him. Boxed in, Lucario began to panic and struggle against his plastic prison, slamming his entire body weight against the plastic wall.

The expanse of field shimmered and faded away, the real spherical prison of mirror revealed for real. Lucario's panic increased, continually pounding against the wall, attacking it with whatever he could manage in his tired, defeated state. He felt the old scar reopening, his nightmare vision of a blue sea in which he was trapped. The plastic gave way to shimmering azure beneath his paws, the mirrors effectively reflected Lucario's terrified face thousandfold, until the entire prison wall was composed of a mosaic of the blue-furred head.

Lucario felt his energy draining away, and as he slipped he saw once again the long darkness claiming him, once again himself falling in an eternal crystal blue.

_Aaron-sama, no! _In desperate attempt, Lucario threw his entire bruised body against the wall, blacking out before he could watch a crack split the prison walls asunder, allowing a white light to flood the prison.

---

The Trainer picked up the Pokéball. "Finally," he muttered. He turned it over in his hands for a while, then started to pick his way out of Lucario's shattered door frame, but came face to face with a giant disembodied glove. The glove did not speak, but only allowed its cold queer focus to wash over the Trainer and the Pokéball he held.

"Ma- Master Hand," stammered the Trainer.

Before anyone could react, the Pokéball exploded in a flash of white light, flinging the Trainer backwards into Lucario's room wall, while throwing Lucario out into the common corridor, where his back slammed into a wall and he slumped to the ground.

The other Smashers crowded around the area, drawn first by the sounds of the earlier battle, but reached only in time to see Pokémon Trainer staggering to his feet in Lucario's war-torn room, Lucario lying face-down, barely conscious in the common corridor, and Master Hand floating majestically between them like a referee in a particularly cruel round of wrestling.

No one dared move, until Master Hand suddenly jerked to life.

_You. And you. My office._ Master Hand stabbed a finger at both Pokémon Trainer and Lucario. _And one of you, go get a medic or two. _The young Ice Climbers, eager to leave the scene of bloody battle, quickly left to obey Master Hand's command, while several others helped Pokémon Trainer and Lucario to their feet, and supported them as they made their way, like an odd procession, behind the giant glove.

---

_Lucario suddenly awakened, and immediately struggled. He was back in the crystal blue sea, though he impossibly seemed to have just woken up. _Has Aaron-sama returned?_ he thought groggily, senses not fully functioning properly. A burst of light above him directed his sight upwards, through it he saw one with a distinctive Aura signature, a familiar Aura signature..._

Aaron-sama?_ he whispered. More loudly: _Why do you return? Why did you leave?

_The figure stopped, froze, but otherwise did not respond to his call. Lucario became more and more agitated, but it was as if the crystal sea he had swum in so long had claimed his mobility, and he began to drown once again._

---

_AARON-SAMA! _Lucario suddenly sat bolt upright, red eyes stretched wide open and staring as bandages ripped and fell from his fur. The Ice Climbers were shocked into falling backwards, and even Ganandorf flinched slightly as Lucario's telepathic yell rocked through Smash Mansion.

Suddenly aware of his surroundings, Lucario mouth opened slightly in a surprised 'o', seeing a great number of the Smashers crowded around his infirmary bed. His ears flattened against his head as he drew back from them, embarrassed by his sudden outburst. A Nurse Joy, however, came over and quietly told them off for disturbing Lucario, as Lucario tried to take in his new surroundings and his stranger caretaker.

"Who's Aaron-sama, Lucario?" The Ice Climbers had recovered, and both Popo and Nana seated themselves on the side of Lucario's bed once Nurse Joy had walked off. Lucario gripped his head in his paws, still experiencing some headaches and bleeding from the freshly-opened wounds. _He is... was... is... my master - "Trainer", if you wish to see it that way, _he muttered softly. Popo shifted himself and asked: "So why isn't he with you? Pokémon Trainer's with his Pokémon... Isn't this a Pokémon thing?" Nana nodded.

Lucario removed his paws from his temples, but didn't lean backwards or lie down for fear of crushing his tail once again. Kirby waddled to him, trying to place a tray of berries on Lucario's table, resisting the strong urge to eat some. Lucario tilted his head slightly to the side, giving the Climbers a small, sad, smile, and decided that telling them the truth would probably be for the best.

_He died... a thousand years ago._ He nodded a little, then slowly rested his head on his forepaws. _He died a noble death, and sealed me away to prevent me from dying along with him._ The Ice Climbers were no longer smiling, instead having a combination of horror and pity etched onto their young faces. The awkward silence was broken when Kirby accidentally tipped over the tray, a result of trying to listen to Lucario, stare at Lucario, and place a tray of berries on a table higher then himself. Berries rolled across the infirmary floor.

Popo, still curious, probed further. "Why didn't you find another trainer then? You must have been lonely..." Kirby gave up and waddled over Lucario himself instead, offering the tray with a few stray berries on it. Lucario looked at the tray, then at Kirby, and accepted the tray gratefully, holding it weakly in his paws.

_I was sealed away, in a staff. In the crystal of Aaron-sama's own staff. _Lucario paused, feeling his old pain resurface. _For a thousand years, before I could escape the crystal._.. _By then he had passed into legend, and all knew not I was trapped in the staff. _Lucario shifted his gaze uncomfortably to the berries on the tray, drawing his hindlegs closer to his body.

The room fell silent, but the Climbers felt the need to fill the awkward silence again. "So, what did you do when you escaped?" Lucario smiled slightly; these youngsters may have nightmares... _I was recruited onto a mission, the same one Aaron-sama was on when he... sacrificed himself. _Lucario closed his brilliant red eyes for a moment, then opened them again to stare kindly at the Ice Climbers, a hint of tears moistening his view.

_And I died, the same way as Aaron-sama._

_In a small cave, surrounded by rock and light and crystal._

**I believe Lucario in Brawl is the same, or based off, the Lucario in **_**Lucario and the Mystery of Mew**_**, who was a kind of tragic hero. In any case, Lucario was sealed by his master, Sir Aaron, in his staff to save him from a clash between two great armies, while Sir Aaron sacrificed himself to ensure peace in the land (don't ask how, go Wiki it.)**

**It was only after a thousand years was Lucario released accidentally, but soon after had to sacrifice himself the same way as Sir Aaron did a thousand years earlier. Lucario, however, died with the newfound knowledge of the purpose of his sealing was in fact to save him, and that Sir Aaron considered it a friend, not a servant.**

**Could have been a typical cheesy plot, but somehow it's just more touching.**

**Thank you for reading, and please review!**

**hawk**


	3. Nightmare Reborn

**Hello all once again.**

**First off, many many thanks Starl1l, NinjaSheik and Gerti... Thank you for your kind support and encouragement.**

**To clarify, this is one kind of Pokémon Trainer which I think wouldn't be too rare in the Pokémon world, and also worlds apart with the Pokémon Trainer in **_**Captured!**_**. Still, the story is not over...**

**Once again, thank you for your viewing, even if you don't review – but still, do try to review, reviews are always more than welcome.**

**Please enjoy.**

**hawk**

Claustrophobia – Chapter Three

Lucario didn't move for a long time, as the Smashers slowly filed out of the infirmary and went back to their daily brawling. Lucario remained in the same sitting position, legs drawn close to his chest-spike, his tail bearing the only sign of life, occasionally swishing softly side to side, large red eyes slowly blinking.

Finally, as night fell over the Smash Mansion, Lucario suddenly slid out of his bed., slowly putting his hindpaws to the ground, as if afraid that the ground would suddenly come to life and entomb him alive. It didn't happen, so Lucario slowly padded across the infirmary floor, careful not to wake the other occupants, to the infirmary kitchen.

Once there, he picked up a pitcher of cold water with a bandaged paw, and started to pour some into a shallow bowl. He was quiet for a while, listening to the silent breathing of the room, before slowly moving to the small table in the centre of the kitchen. Fortunately, he observed, some of the chairs were stools, allowing tailed creatures to sit comfortably upon them. The three Star Fox characters often got themselves into fights, after all. Lucario settled himself on a stool and brought the bowl of water to his lips, quietly lapping or sipping the refreshing water.

He had sensed him before he heard him, and by the time the Pokémon Trainer entered the kitchen Lucario was ready for him. Lucario had pushed away the bowl, paws lightly resting on the table, and proceeded to observe the Trainer as he entered the room. The Trainer obviously noticed the scarlet eyes burning into him, so with a sigh he dropped himself onto a chair on the opposite side of the table. None spoke.

_Bad brawl? _The Trainer looked up, surprised. Lucario's expression hadn't changed, his features still stone-set in his furred face, red eyes stark against black fur. The Trainer laughed twice, and nodded once. Lucario remained still for a while more, then picked up the bowl and resumed sipping his meal. The Trainer's Aura was still odd, he noted, but he couldn't quite put a paw on it –

"Why won't you come with me?" The Trainer's sharp question pierced the night sky, Lucario freezing mid-sip. Slowly he lowered the bowl from his mouth slightly, not looking at the Trainer but staring at the reflection in the water. _I already have a Master._ Lucario continued drinking, this time his eyes stared directly at the Trainer. _I suggest you find another Pokémon._ "Have you any idea how rare Lucario are?" The Trainer was positively agitated, getting up and pacing the room. "I have had the good fortune of meeting one, and I can't possibly let this opportunity slide."

Lucario's red eyes suddenly flashed with anger, although he kept his composure calm. After a few seconds, he got up, and threw his bowl into the sink. The clang startled the Pokémon Trainer, even as Lucario began speaking in a slow, forced tone.

_I am not one which you add to your collection, Trainer – I belong to no one else but my Master._ With that, Lucario turned and started to storm back to his bed. Some Smashers in the infirmary were awakened by the bowl clang, but remained silent, observing the confrontation behind their covers.

"Your Master is dead."

Lucario froze mid-step, fur stiffening all at once. Slowly he gyrated about his hindpaws, until he stood in the middle of a darkened ward, staring straight into the Trainer who was seated in the lighted kitchen at the end of the ward. "You should come with me now. Your allegiance to your previous Master dies with him."

None spoke.

_Aaron-sama is dead. _Lucario finally stated. _I - am dead._

_But my loyalty dies not. So shall this hope here die._

None spoke.

The Trainer finally opted to talk. "But since you're still here and talking to me – alive – all previous loyalties have to be dissolved. Hence, if I could capture you in a fair battle, then you would legally belong to me. Technically – " _Again with the technicalities! _roared Lucario into the Trainer's mind, for him alone to hear. _Do you not get it? My – loyalty – dies – not, _baring his fangs at the last syllable.

The Trainer held up his three Pokéballs. "Tomorrow. At Final Destination. A fair brawl to solve this issue. If I win, you are mine." Lucario just continued to stare at him, unbelieving that some humans could be so thick-skulled. Then again, he had been out of touch with the world for centuries – perhaps the Trainer was right about the rules of the game. Lucario let out an audible sigh.

_And if you lose? _The Pokémon Trainer smiled. "I won't."

With that, the Trainer turned and walked silently out of the infirmary, his coat billowing out behind him, leaving Lucario's silhouette unmoving in the middle of the darkened infirmary ward.

---

Mr Game and Watch had gone to visit Lucario in the middle of the night, knowing the Aura Pokémon would likely be awake, meditating. The 2D black flowerpot he held in his hand was hidden behind his back, which wasn't much use since he was 2D. Still, Mr Game and Watch set a mute function on his walking beeps and ticks, and soon found himself in the infirmary ward.

He allowed himself a beep, hoping to surprise Lucario. No response. Beep? No response. Mr Game and Watch felt the covers – it was flat, the bed empty. Mr Game and Watch ducked under the bed, as if to see if Lucario was hiding there, or had decided to meditate under his bed for some reason. No blue-furred jackal was seen, but there were a handful of berries. Curious, Mr Game and Watch set his pot of flowers on the small bedside table, and slowly made his way out of the room.

---

Lucario sat on the remains of his destroyed bed – a mattress with its innards flowing out thanks to a gash made ironically by Lucario's own chest-spike, when the Trainer had smashed it over his head. Lucario reached a paw in, ripping open the mattress with his paw-spike in the process, and retrieved many pieces of fluff, one abandoned berry and one long stick of wood. He held the wooden staff in his paw, silently glancing at the metal ring around its tip and the blue crystal it encircled. Lucario put it down on the floor, the four small metal lengths attached to the staff ringing softly.

He set it on the ground and lifted up the head of the staff, red eyes meeting blue crystal. Lucario remained like that, melancholy eyes staring within the crystal until eventually, finally, the morning sun came and bounced sunlight off the crystal, bathing Lucario in a magnificent multicoloured show of light.

---

_He felt the crystal sea draining away his strength, yet the Aura! the Aura remained strong. He felt the familiar Aura signature flood through the crystal, until he sensed even with his eyes open that the crystal prism was literally being filled up with the Aura energy._

_Lucario felt himself being lifted up, slowly, but from the tip of his ears to the soles of his hindpaws, through the entire length of his tail, he felt some energy flooding back into him. He saw that the top of his prison was shining with light, and so he struggled, clawing with his paws to reach the summit._

Aaron-sama! _he cried. _Wait!


	4. Nightmare Climax

**Hello all – again.**

**Many thanks goes to lupine and **_**Starlll**_** – sorry for the error. Thank you once again to previous reviewers and readers, and I hope you will continue to read. Things will be coming to a head soon.**

**Thank you for your kind comments: Mr Game and Watch is also one of my favourite characters... though I find it quite hard to describe him in writing, I'll try my best.**

**So please enjoy, and review. Thank you.**

**hawk**

Claustrophobia – Chapter Four

The sky was dark over the blue-tinted stage – some hints of cloud floating by. Two disembodied hands hovering inches above the stage prepared to address the crowd, the left glove perpetually twitching. The crowd was silent. Seeing how rare it was to see Master Hand at a brawl, much less Crazy Hand, the both of them together must signify a rather important announcement.

Crazy Hand slammed the centre of the stage, the echo resounding across the crowd. Master Hand addressed the gathering. _Today's Brawl will be on Final Destination. One stock, and no items allowed. The stake: Smasher Lucario's allegiance to Smasher Pokémon Trainer._ Here Master Hand paused, as the heavy importance of the brawl suddenly started to sink into the audience.

Both Hands suddenly pointed skywards, as Pokémon Trainer and Lucario made their entrances onto the stage. The Trainer quickly stepped back into the background, throwing a Pokéball to the ground instead, while Lucario tensed and prepared himself, blue Aura already materialising around his paws.

Both Hands flew towards each other and met with astounding force, a shockwave rippling from the point of impact, a resounding clap signifying the start of the brawl.

_Let the Brawl... begin!_

---

Squirtle got in the first hit; spinning across Final Destination in his shell, knocking Lucario temporarily off his hindpaws. Lucario recovered, however, and executed a stunning hit on Squirtle, blue Aura fire burning the turtle as it was sent flying across the stage. Lucario rushed next to it, intending to Aura Palm it off the stage, but his paw passed over thin air as Squirtle was recalled back into its Pokéball.

Lucario stumbled backwards, momentarily shocked at how quickly Squirtle had been "captured" – or returned – to the small Pokéball. Mental images of his capture flooded his mind, breaking his concentration on the battle at hand. Lucario realised this, shaking his head from side to side, trying to clear his mind before Ivysaur was released.

Ivysaur beat him to it, landing a heavy blow right across Lucario's snout. Lucario roared, grabbing Ivysaur and pummelling it into the ground. However, Ivysaur proved to be a greater foe than Squirtle, blasting him skywards and dangerously close to the blast line, the boundary markers of the brawl.

Lucario knew if he crossed those boundaries, he'd have lost the brawl – and his freedom – so he tucked in his hindpaws, and literally cannonballed back to the stage ground, uncurling at the last instant to strike Ivysaur a glancing blow.

_Take this – _Lucario thought, but his Aura Sphere attack missed as Ivysaur suddenly shrank and disappeared back into its small, red-and-white Pokéball. Lucario was suddenly overcome once again with a wave of nausea, his fear gnawing away at his mind, and for once he wished for the wooden staff to lean upon.

Lucario turned instead to stare at the Trainer, who just shrugged. Changing Pokémon in the middle of battle was legal Brawl strategy, and the rules didn't say anything about taking advantage of others' weaknesses then. Lucario instead resorted to repeatedly pummelling Charizard when it appeared, his earlier complete thrashing at Charizard's claws fresh in his mind.

---

One mad brawl later, Charizard and Lucario retreated to their corners on the stage, both equally worn out and injured. Charizard had multiple cuts and slashes along his entire belly and flanks, courtesy of Lucario's Aura-powered attacks and chest- and paw-spikes, while Lucario suffered burns, random patches of his blue and yellow fur discoloured, as well as cuts and bruises.

Both of them charged at each other once again, but this time Charizard opened his jaws and seized Lucario's abdomen in his teeth, skilfully avoiding the otherwise-painful chest-spike. Lucario bit back an urge to yell, but instead smashed at the great jaws with Aura, forcing Charizard to release him but leaving his with bloody teeth marks across his waist.

Charizard instead slammed him into the ground, burying his lower body in the stage. As Lucario struggled to break free, Charizard repeatedly smashed at his skull powerfully, racking up enormous amounts of damage. Lucario, half-buried in a shimmering stage of blue, felt his claustrophobia rise up again.

---

_Lucario continued to stare at the blue crystal. It was strangely comforting, sitting in the middle of a shattered room, looking at a piece of rock set in a stick of wood. But still, the crystal seemed to hold enormous power over Lucario's vision, compelling him to continue to stare at its depths._

One thousand years,Master, _murmured Lucario, ears slowly flattening against his head, and eyes misting up ever so slightly. _And I didn't even manage to see you that last time...

_His tears shimmered transparent against his fur, and brilliantly refracted the light as the morning sun dawned, playing out a complicated, magnificent spectrum of brilliance all around him._

---

Lucario exploded from the ground, countering Charizard's powerful blows with an Aura-powered punch that sent Charizard across the arena. Both sides bared their fangs at each other, but it was clear that both Pokémon were reaching the end of their stamina. Pokémon Trainer seemed to realise that too, and commanded Charizard to charge against the defiant Lucario.

But before anyone could move, there was a resounding cry across the field, nearly as loud as the Hands' clap so long ago at the start of the brawl. The crowd, all combatants and even the Hands tilted skywards to see a lone bird? plane? circling the stadium at a great height. Even in his weary state, Lucario caught a glimpse of familiar Aura, whereas the Pokémon Trainer's Aura grew more erratic and emanated a great sense of fear and fury.

This new entity flew to a halt over the stadium, but not before a boy expertly dropped off its back. The newcomer had an average height, but sported a vest and jeans and a very crumpled hat. He stood his ground, turning to face not just the crowd, but also Lucario, Charizard, and the Trainer, and made his announcement in a loud, clear voice, just as a Charizard landed heavily behind him and roared.

"_**I**_ am the Pokémon Trainer – and challenge me whoever dare!s"


	5. Night Struggle for Air

**Hello all once again,**

**Apologies for the spelling error – thanks to **_**lupyne**_**, as well as NinjaSheik/INUGIRL. Thanks also goes out to all readers, regardless if you reviewed or not, although reviews are always more than welcome.**

**And yes, I think that you're probably expecting one party to win over the other easily, but I'll try to keep this fic interesting until the end. I don't own SSBB, obviously.**

**I hope that all of you have enjoyed this fic thus far, and certainly hope you will continue to enjoy it.**

**hawk**

Claustrophobia – Chapter Five

The crowd was stunned into silence – both Hands made no move; Pokémon Trainer froze, and Lucario took this opportunity to relax his fighting stance, but the blue Aura still remained washed around his paws.

Since he wasn't about to be immediately beaten into the ground, nor did he immediately need to beat anyone else into the ground, he closed his red eyes and raised his paws up to his head level. What he saw startled him. The Pokémon Trainers' Auras were both vibrating with high energy, mixed with different levels of fury, anger and fear, radiating out in strong waves along with their Aura. Above all – their Auras were strikingly, strikingly similar.

_Aaron-sama, must all the trainers I meet have such similar Aura?_ Lucario whined telepathically to himself, shaking his head in his paws.

The newcomer narrowed his eyes into slits, his Charizard snarling at Pokémon Trainer. Pokémon Trainer, however, stood his ground, his Charizard, although beaten up, but still stared intently at the newcomer and his Pokémon. Now that Lucario had recovered a bit of his breath, his Aura senses improved, and he noticed subtle differences in their Auras.

The newcomer was emanating agitation and indignation in waves, but when Lucario opened his red eyes, the newcomer was calmly pointing at Pokémon Trainer, who had taken a step back. Only the slight trembling of his hand betrayed any physical sign of what Lucario had sensed. The newcomer spoke.

"I am the Pokémon Trainer – this Trainer here is –" but the Trainer cut him off with a punch to his face.

_That was not part of the Brawl._ Both Trainers stopped fighting as Master Hand floated majestically to the floor of Final Destination. All suddenly looked away from the staring Trainers, refocusing their attention to the giant glove. Master Hand turned such that his fingers faced the Trainers. _There are two Pokémon Trainers claiming the position of the Smasher Pokémon Trainer, _Master Hand calmly stated. The Trainer started to make a comment about Master Hand stating the obvious, when Master Hand began to speak again. _I advise the imposter to step forward, else Crazy Hand will take over the proceedings._

An audible whoosh filled the arena, partly caused by the audience inhaling a deep breath at the same time, but mostly due to Crazy Hand falling to the stage like a stone, twitching violently in every joint possible. The auditorium involuntarily shifted one step back. Crazy Hand laughed, a shriller, higher-pitched wail than Peach, yet it somehow seemed to hold more power than the Smashers combined. The younger Smashers visibly shivered, and some tried to block themselves from Crazy Hand by placing another, older, larger Smasher between them.

Nobody moved for ten seconds.

_Very well. _Master Hand's telepathic voice had a strange twinge – Lucario correctly, and surprisingly, recognized it as resignation – _Crazy Hand, I –_

"Wait!" The cry echoed across the arena. Master Hand and Crazy Hand swivelled suddenly, and Lucario jerked backwards as he noticed the Trainer making his way to the centre of the stage. "I- I am not the Pokémon Trainer supposed to be in Brawl," he stuttered over his words, not daring to look at Crazy Hand.

Twitch.

Silence for ten seconds.

_Let the Brawl continue, _declared Master Hand.

The crowd instantly murmured amongst themselves, until Crazy Hand once again slammed the floor of Final Destination. Lucario had to quickly dodge Crazy Hand's giant slam, otherwise the Trainer's battle would suddenly get much easier.

_This Trainer is a rightful tenant of the Smash Mansion, and he has challenged Smasher Lucario to a battle with high stakes. The battle shall continue, and the stakes shall remain – unchanged. _The other Trainer started to interrupt, but Crazy Hand lifted one finger, and he fell silent, quickly moving to the background of Final Destination.

Master Hand lifted up three fingers. _Let the Brawl continue._

---

Lucario, although glad for the short break, still ached all over, although he comforted himself with the knowledge that Charizard had also taken a lot of damage. One well placed hit would knock Charizard out.

Bearing that in mind, Lucario suddenly charged towards his opponent, leaping up at the last moment to deliver a sudden punch downwards, when again there was a familiar feeling of Aura-coated paw tearing through air, a flash of light, a yell from the Trainer, and Charizard disappeared back into his Pokéball. Lucario's attack missed, himself stumbling forward, carried on by the force of his attack. Twirling around, he launched another attack on Squirtle, trying to ignore the headache building up in his skull, but Squirtle simply dodged a blow and was returned back to his Pokéball by the Trainer.

Lucario bit his lip, fighting back an incredible urge to sit down and hold his head in his paws. He stared briefly at the Trainer, who still kept his eye on the prize. Their eyes locked, but Lucario still sensed confidence in the Trainer's brown eyes.

A flash of light informed him that Ivysaur was on the field, born out of an impossibly small Pokéball... Lucario weakly attempted a couple of swipes, but Ivysaur simply ducked and was promptly recalled by the Trainer, Lucario staggering back a step away from the Pokéball, struggling to keep his balance.

_Enough of these games!_ Lucario cried. He started building up an Aura Sphere at the position Charizard had to appear. Moments later, Charizard emerged once again out of his Pokéball, but was met instead by Lucario's still-charging Aura Sphere. The Trainer glanced at Lucario, but Lucario's eyes were set forward, unlooking, while his long blue forepaws reached behind him, burning Charizard as an Aura Sphere continually grew between them.

_The Aura – is with – me! _Lucario yelled, whipping around and releasing the Aura Sphere into Charizard. Charizard, however, skilfully dodged the close-range attack, and charged instead at Lucario. With Lucario weakened, and Charizard without the ability to halt himself, Charizard crashed straight into Lucario and sent them both straight for the edge of the stage.

Lucario was pushed to the tip of the stage, balancing only on the tip of one paw while Charizard stood over him, not daring to meet the dangerous chest-spike to push himself backwards, as both Pokémon tried mightily to regain their balance. After a full second, Charizard attempted to push himself backwards by slamming Lucario in the shoulder – only to find his claw suddenly grabbed by two paws as both Pokémon slipped off the ledge, into the depths below Final Destination.

---

Both Pokémon frantically tried to push each other away, but only managed to tumble further away from the stage. Lucario, panicking slightly, looked down, and saw below them a brilliant white line stretched below them. The blast line, the legal boundary of the stage, and the first to cross it would be declared out. The view of the blast line spurred Lucario on, digging into the last of his natural strength. Lucario slipped out of Charizard's grasp, then willed his hindpaws to launch himself off Charizard's body.

The plan worked, Lucario gaining a little bit of extra height, while Charizard was sent a little further to the blast line. However, even as Lucario jumped and somersaulted in the air, working his way back up to the floor of the stage, he felt the rush of wind against his tired back, as Charizard began to beat his wings and rise.

The brawl was now reduced to a frantic race to the ledge. Lucario leaped, then somersaulted, tucking his tail in so as to gain that extra bit of height, but his strength rapidly drained from his hindpaws. Charizard felt his wings tiring – with each successive beat he felt a pain shoot through his back. They were virtually equal – Charizard having a slight lead, the tip of Lucario's ears only matching his neck, but Lucario compensating for that by having longer forepaws, and thus a longer reach.

Lucario sprung forward one last time, bounding higher and higher, feeling the last of his strength drain away, his hindpaws going absolutely limp. Charizard pulled off his last effort too, with one beat of his wings he soared, as both Pokémon approached the ledge of Final Destination at the same time.

A black-furred paw weakly grasped the stage ledge, but the orange claw grabbed on to Lucario's forepaw itself. Failing to grasp the ledge, Charizard's claw fell back, but took off half the fur from Lucario's forearm and crashed heavily into Lucario's shoulder, breaking Lucario's hold on the ledge.

Lucario could only look up as he fell over backwards, glimpsing the ledge, his forepaw stretched lifelessly in front of him, specks of his own fur floating about him as he fell.


	6. Night Time's Memory

**Hello once again –**

**First off, many thanks once again to NinjaSheik/INUGIRL and lupyne. There **_**is **_**a repetition in the previous chapter as stated by lupyne, apologies for my oversight. What is **_**not**_** an oversight is that the old Trainer is considered "a legal tenant". The mystery surrounding the two Trainers will be resolved in the next, final chapter. Do air your guesses as to the "identities" of the Trainers.**

**Many thanks also to all who have read the fic, and have extended their support, it is greatly appreciated.**

**I don't own SSBB or the Pokémon franchise. I wonder what will happen if I do not include this sentence.**

**One more thing to note: this is not yet the end, so don't take everything at face value.**

**Without further ado, please enjoy, reviews are very welcome.**

**hawk**

Claustrophobia - Chapter Six

Lucario felt as though he was in a dream, soundlessly floating down, the grunts of Charizard muffled and muted even though they were literally side by side. As if in slow motion, he felt his right paw fall back, jerking erratically, as his body curved and his tail was being dragged upwards by air resistance. He didn't blink, red eyes staring up as though in shock, mouth slightly open, revealing two fangs on either side.

The feeling of the ledge was still fresh in Lucario's paw – in fact, it had been practically burnt into it. The edge of the ledge hand made a deep impression on Lucario's paw, but with Charizard pulling it down, the impression gave way to a deep cut, little spheres of blood and fur dancing around his paw as they all freefell.

No more thoughts went through Lucario's mind – it was as if it had finally shut down shop and called it a day. However, just as Charizard and Lucario fell past the middle depth of the stage, a memory was suddenly yanked from Lucario's subconscious and started to play in front of his eyes.

---

_Lucario stared intently at the sheer rock wall that loomed in front of him. He could sense that all around him were similar rock walls, not perfectly smooth but not rough enough to climb normally, no crevasses or cracks for hands or worse still, paws to hold on to, effectively capturing him in a deep and narrow pit. Yet at the top of one of the rock walls, his goal awaited him._

If there are no pawholds, I shall make my own._ Slowly closing his red eyes, Lucario focused on the task at hand._ _Suddenly he leaped forward, directly onto the rock wall, two meters up, forcefully slamming the back of his paws into the rock face. This involved an uncomfortable twisting of Lucario's forepaws, but it succeeded in burying Lucario's paw-spikes on both arms securely into the rock._

_Lucario then pulled back on his left paw, bits of rubble tumbling away, and smashed it again into the rock face, above the previous crack he had made. Repeating the same with his right paw, Lucario began to slowly ascend the rock wall, but it came at a cost of stabs of pain to his paw-spikes every time he struck, as well as incredible energy expended in his forepaws._

The spikes will be extremely difficult to clean in the morning,_ Lucario groaned inwardly, but said nothing aloud, choosing instead to concentrate on his task._

"_There now, Lucario, there isn't need to waste so much energy like this," chuckled a middle-aged man standing at the bottom of the rock wall. Lucario grunted telepathically, but persevered and struggled upwards. But when he next stabbed the rock wall with his right paw-spike, the rock crumbled away about his spike, suddenly disorientating him and forcing him to drop from the rock wall._

_Executing a somersault in mid-air, Lucario landed on the ground lightly, but dropped to one knee in front of the figure. "Be not so formal," smiled the man, moving towards the rock wall peppered with Lucario's spike-marks. Lucario quickly got up and followed behind him, curious as to what he would do._

_Surprisingly, he didn't take advantage of Lucario's conveniently located spike-marks, but instead jumped sideways to another wall, slapping his left palm against the wall, blue Aura flaring from it, bunching his knees to his chest. He remained like that for a second, before leaping from his perch to the wall opposite, again resuming that pose. Lucario staggered backwards, partially in awe and partially to continue to watch his progress up the cliff._

_After a rapid series of leaps, bounds and Aura-assisted wall-clings, the man somersaulted onto the top of the rock wall, and deftly picked up and twirled the long wooden staff waiting for him there, metal jingling loudly against metal. "See now, that wasn't too hard with Aura, wasn't it?" he called down from the top of the cliff. "Once I get down there, we'll practice this for today. Alright, Lucario?"_

_Lucario immediately knelt before the rock upon which Sir Aaron stood, bowing his head almost to his chest._

Yes, Aaron-sama!

---

Lucario drained the last dregs of his energy, just like how he would have gotten the last drop of juice out of a berry, but just like the berry, he felt his hindpaws painfully twist themselves as his left paw reached out weakly for the stage's boxy underbelly. Charizard saw the movement, and tried valiantly to once again claw Lucario or to otherwise slow him down, but his grip of Lucario's tail was suddenly reduced to a grip of a small mass of blue fur.

Lucario grasped weakly at the slanting wall at the very bottom of the stage, a small spark of Aura escaping his surviving good left paw. It wasn't quite enough, but it allowed Lucario to slip and grasp a metallic bar making up the scaffolding of the bottom of Final Destination.

Charizard roared in fury, unwilling to be beaten so easily. Its newfound voice returned with fire, its Fire attacks singeing the Aura Pokémon as even his grip on the bar weakened. Lucario felt a numbing sensation on the soles of his hindpaws and the tip of his mangled tail – without looking down or using Aura, he knew they must have been either scorched or caught on fire, and he wasn't exactly keen on finding out which.

His paw slipped suddenly, leaving Lucario holding on to the bar by a single bit of paw, but Charizard soon roared and disappeared in a cloud of light. Lucario then heard nothing else as his red eyes closed and his paw finally gave way, freefalling once again in the darkness - not the crowd cheering, not the Trainer's yells and commands, not even the final, resounding clap of the Hands as Master Hand announced _Game!._

_Aaron-sama_, he thought, his eyes closed, a small hint of a sad smile tugging at a corner of his mouth.

Then the world abruptly closed in all around him, and Lucario was swallowed in a sea of black.


	7. Dawn

**Hello all.**

**I must apologise for not updating yesterday – I was seriously too tired to even switch on my computer.**

**Many thanks goes out to lupyne, NinjaSheik/INUGIRL and Pikmin Lad of the Stars/LORD OF DAKRAI, as well as those who have reviewed earlier, Gerti and Starlll.**

**I sincerely hope you all have enjoyed this fic, and I thank all who have supported me through the course of this first fic. I will be resuming writing soon, and will post up a new oneshot/collection of oneshots of Lucario and probably Mr Game and Watch by end June, so please do stay tuned.**

**In the meantime, those wanting more Lucario action can head over to lupyne's **_**I Am Lucario**_**, an extremely well-written and touching fic, or the more light hearted **_**Captured!**_** by Shadow Blues.**

**[Edit: Also, added to the end of the chapter is the list of the other fics in the same arc - if by happy chance you liked this fic, please feel free to check out the other fics in the series if you want to. Thank you once again!]**

**So without further ado, please enjoy the last chapter of this first fic.**

**hawk**

Claustrophobia – Chapter Seven

Lucario's red eyes opened slightly. The first thing he noticed was the white of the infirmary bedsheets, followed by the coolness of the pre-dawn breeze. It seemed as if Lucario's disciplined habits had installed an alarm in his brain – it would wake him right before dawn, wherever he was. Lucario growled softly, then tried to roll off the bed.

This led him to the next thing he noticed – whenever he moved, he felt sharp stabs of pain arcing across his limbs. Suddenly, the memory of the high-stake battle the night before broke into Lucario's mind, throwing the Aura Pokémon into a mild frenzy. _Who won? Did I win? Where is everyone? _Lucario yelled telepathically to no one in particular, struggling to get up, his limbs moving slowly as if in a dream.

He calmed down a little, and settled into a half curled up position on his bed, taking the opportunity to examine the damage. Both his forepaws were bandaged, right up to his elbows, including both his paw-spikes. Two strips of white bandage ran around Lucario's waist, while his right ear tip was bandaged slightly and responded painfully when Lucario tried to twitch it. His lower body didn't fare much better, with his hindpaws bandaged with icepacks literally taped onto them, intense pain shooting through his nerves when he moved them, while a great deal of fur at the tip of his tail was gone, replaced instead with a twisted sheet of white tied into a ribbon. Also, he lost quite a bit of blue fur to the flames, but the blue fur was already trying to grow back in the charred regions.

Nurse Joy entered the ward, yawning, motioning for Lucario to not move. "You got beaten up pretty badly, hm?" She smiled, not unkindly, at him. Lucario looked into her face with large red eyes, his head tilted quizzically at an angle, but said nothing. After a second or two of silence, Lucario made as if he wanted to stand up, but Nurse Joy placed a firm hand on Lucario's shoulders. "Not yet, Lucario. Your injuries are pretty severe."

_I have been through worse,_ Lucario sighed and continued to try to stand, biting back an urge to yelp. After a series of Joy trying to push Lucario back onto the bed and Lucario refusing to go down, Joy eventually gave up.

"You're a tough one, aren't you," Joy smiled at him, holding him by his shoulders as Lucario struggled to his hindpaws, icepacks dropping off of his bandages. Wincing, Lucario staggered two steps forward and one step back, nearly falling and taking Joy with him. _Thank you,_ Lucario gave Nurse Joy a small smile in return, and painfully they inched their way to the infirmary door, Nurse Joy watching Lucario nervously as they exited from the ward.

---

Later that day, the double Trainers were called into Master Hand's office. Both Trainers stared at the giant glove as he floated, his back towards them as he flexed his fingers slowly but continually.

_Smasher Pokémon Trainer, you may reclaim your position with immediate effect._ The newcomer grinned, and saluted the glove. _However, the results of the Brawl with Smasher Lucario will still stand between this Trainer and Lucario._ The glove now turned around to face the old Trainer, who was shuffling his feet and trying to read Master Hand's expressions.

_After which, you may leave the Mansion_. finished Master Hand in a monotone voice.

"What? You can't do that!" protested the Trainer. "I came here legally –" _And also contravened the rules, _stated Master Hand flatly. _There are plenty other Trainers whom I may invite to take care of the relevant Assist Trophy Pokémon, and I have in fact already invited another Trainer to that effect._

_However, your hard work and effort in your job shall not go unnoticed, _Master Hand added, after a pause. _You shall not receive any other punishment other than your dismissal, although I suggest you apologize to Smasher Lucario before you go. We will watch the replay of the Brawl tonight, and after that you may claim your prize if you win and leave._

"You still can't do that! I –" _Attempted to_ _capture a Pokémon Brawler illegally, causing harm to both Pokémon and property, bound the original Pokémon Trainer in the Assist Trophy Room, tricked the original Pokémon Trainer, the rest of the Smashers, and not to mention Crazy Hand and I?_ Master Hand's telepathic voice boomed deep in both Trainers' minds, causing them to clutch at their temples. _You are lucky I did not allow Crazy Hand to execute his original plan of punishment,_ Master Hand reminded. The Trainer shuddered, suddenly thankful, and attempted to change the subject.

"Watch a replay? Didn't I win yesterday? Lucario obviously beat Squirtle to the blast line, and –" _I do not know. But all reports say it was close, and nothing short of an action replay will determine the winner. It was a close brawl, Trainer, _Master Hand said,snapping his fingers suddenly_, and nothing other than the truth shall satisfy both parties._

The Pokémon Trainer looked on with worry as the Trainer began to make plans to include Lucario in his gym fights back in their hometown. Indeed, if Lucario lost to him, Lucario would be in some trouble.

---

The rest of the Smashers, including both Trainers, were gathered into a room as Master Hand and Crazy Hand prepared to address the crowd. Master Hand was getting impatient, and Crazy Hand was already twitching more than normal, but they didn't expect to see the injured Lucario or Trainer's Pokémon in the room.

Master Hand began. _As you know, last night's Brawl –_ but was cut short by a slow, but steady, jingling sound. Everyone slowly turned to stare at Mr Game and Watch, who suddenly noticed this and protested in his beeping tones. The beeps and clicks were obviously different from the soft jingling they heard, so they once again looked around to try to identify the source of the sound as it slowly grew louder.

Suddenly, the doorknob to the room clicked and shifted, as the door slowly swung open to reveal Lucario. All his limbs, including his tail, were bandaged to a smaller degree than in the morning, testament to his fast healing skills, but still he moved slowly into the room, bandaged paw on a tall wooden staff as support, moving across the room with a _chink, chink, chink_ as the metal pieces on the staff tinkled with each step. A part of his blue fur was burned black, but his eyes remained unchanged, the large red eyes retaining their dignified fire.

_I apologise for my lateness, _Lucario bowed stiffly to the Hands, then to the room, and then painfully straightening up. He proceeded to make his way to a seat, and settled himself onto it without any help, tightly gripping the staff he held with both paws.

_As I was saying, _Master Hand continued, _last night's Brawl ended apparently in a draw, with no obvious winner, as both Lucario and Squirtle reached the blast line at approximately the same time. _Crazy Hand twitched. _However –_

For the second time that day, Master Hand was interrupted by Lucario._ Squirtle?_ _Was it not Charizard who fell with me?_ Master Hand flexed his fingers once, and then clarified. _The Trainer was able to make a last minute Pokémon Change, resulting in Charizard being recalled and switched with Squirtle at the area immediately above the blast line._

Lucario drew in his breath. If the Trainer was able to carry out such a fortunate, highly difficult Pokémon Change, the time it took for Charizard to be recalled and for Squirtle to be sent out would have been roughly the time it took for him to fall from the bottom of Final Destination to the blast line. In short, he could have lost, because it was a legal time-delaying tactic if pulled off properly, and may have allowed Lucario to cross the blast line first. The news was like a stab to the heart, the bandaged paws gripped the staff tighter, fresh pain coursing through Lucario's forepaws.

_However, _Master Hand appeared to glare at the room, daring anyone else to interrupt him, _we shall now review the video of the last seconds of the Brawl, to determine the eventual winner. I have called all of you here to act as witnesses, as this Brawl involves very high stakes._

Crazy Hand twitched, and suddenly the front wall of the room was covered with a replay of the brawl in the depths of Final Destination. Lucario saw himself reaching for, and barely holding on to the metal underbelly of the stage, as Charizard roared in anger, releasing a column of fire, engulfing Lucario in its flames. Lucario's lower body involuntarily went numb again as he relived getting his hindpaws burnt badly by Charizard's flames. The surviving fur on the soles of his hindpaws had actually caught on fire and spread slightly.

_That explains the icebags,_ Lucario winced. Not wanting to focus on that, he looked upwards, seeing the Trainer run to the ledge of the stage and hesitate. After a full second, the Trainer took out a Pokéball, took careful aim, and threw it down. It fell quickly, narrowly missing Lucario by a tail-length, and hit Charizard squarely in the chest, recalling him. Lucario shuddered involuntarily, and again when Squirtle exploded out of his Pokéball at the location Charizard was recalled, but silently praised the Trainer for his skill.

But already the damage was done – Lucario had finally released his hold on the scaffold, involuntarily sent somersaulting down, his mangled tail whisking around him in a grotesque parody of what it was. Squirtle was released, trying mightily to swim upwards in air, his short legs frantically scrabbling away, then retreating inside his shell. The blast line – the legal boundary of the stage – was now visible, a clear white line in the bottom half of the screen, and the room went silent as the falling Squirtle and unconscious Lucario dropped towards it.

Both combatants approached it, then crossed it, and then fell past it.

No one moved.

Crazy Hand suddenly twitched, and everyone realised that even he had been still for the past few seconds.

Master Hand ordered a rewind of the tape, playing it again in slow motion as they neared the boundary, with the same result. The Smashers remained silent.

Master Hand rewound the tape once again, and progressed it frame by frame as they neared the blast line. Squirtle was in his shell, apparently rotating very slowly, and Lucario fell silently head-over-hindpaws. Everyone, with the exception of the Hands and Mr Game and Watch, blinked at the slow frame-by-frame playing of the video.

The tape was stopped at the exact moment the two appeared to touch the blast line, Squirtle with the bottom of his shell and Lucario with edge of his tail as he somersaulted. Everyone blinked once again as Master Hand enlarged the single frame, focusing on the boundary of the sharp white blast line.

The flat bottom of Squirtle's shell was just barely, but still, in contact with the boundary. Lucario was frozen mid-somersault, the edge of his tail brushing slightly against the blast line.

Nobody moved for a full ten seconds. Suddenly Crazy Hand jerked to life, twitching violently, and then moved across to the picture on the wall, and then jabbing a finger at it. The camera zoomed in obediently.

The hard base of Squirtle's shell had scraped the boundary, and no one could deny that. But what was surprising was Lucario's tail. Instead of brushing across the boundary like it normally would have done, Charizard's final fire attack had instead burned away the surrounding fur, leaving the true edge of Lucario's tail a bare hair's length away from the blast line.

Lucario had literally won by a hair.

---

The night wind blew gently across the roof of the Smash Mansion, finding the blue-furred Aura Pokémon on its top. Lucario sat on the edge of the roof, allowing his almost-fully recovered hindpaws to dangle off the edge.

_I must apologize, _began Lucario, still looking to the bright moon that hung high in the night sky. _I must not have been thinking properly lately. _He winced.

"Don't worry," Pokémon Trainer smiled. He lay back on the roof, hands behind his head, staring up into the night sky. Closing his eyes, he continued. "You didn't hang around me much before this anyway, so you probably wouldn't have been able to tell. Us humans are pretty much alike," he laughed silently.

A pause.

_That's not true_. Pokémon Trainer opened his left eye to see Lucario looking back at him, red eyes fixed intently on his one. _Your Aura tells of your courage, as well as your kindness to your Pokémon._ Lucario'sred eyes blinked. _I understand why they choose to follow you, or even stay in their Pokéballs for you._ Lucario closed his eyes, reminded once again of the difference of his ancient world and theirs.

Lucario gripped the long wooden staff a little tighter, and looked intently into the blue shimmering crystal within for a full ten seconds. _I'd do the same for my Master._

"Hey, perhaps you could come with me!" joked the Pokémon Trainer, tossing Lucario a Pokéball. Lucario deftly caught it in his left paw and threw it back at the Pokémon Trainer, who struggled to catch it an only managed to drop it. _No, thanks._ His voice was firm, but Lucario smiled a little.

Both of them watched as the Pokéball rolled down the roof and off into the space below, and shared a quiet laugh. None of them said anymore as they sat together and enjoyed the imminent dawn.

**End**

**Or a new beginning?**

**Thus ends the story of **_**Claustrophobia**_**.**

**---**

Days of Our Lives Arc

_Introduction  
_**Claustrophobia  
**_Checkmate_  
_Days of Our Lives  
Remembrance  
Reflection_


End file.
